Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-02-17
THE LOUIS DOR.

lie LOulO " On'
When Lucien de Hem had seen hi,
last bank note raked in by the Group
Ter, and risen from the roulette tabl,
where he had just lost the shattered
remains of his fortune, collected fol
this last effort to retrieve his previous
loses, he felt strange dizziness steal
ing over him and thought he was 90
ing to fall Mastering himself, how
ever, he sought with unsteady steE
and dazed brain one of the leather
benches of the gambling hail and
threw himself upon it. For a few
moments he stared blankly about this
cIandestiue gambling house in which
he had wasted the best years of his
youth. He realized that he was ruin
ed, lost. 1t occurred to him that he
had at home, in one of the drawers oil
his bureau, the ordinance pistols with
which his father, General Hem, then
simple captain, had so distinguished
himself in the attack upon Zaatcha
then, overcome with fatigue, he fell
into deep sleep.
When he awoke his mouth was dry
and parched. He glared at the clock.
The hands marked on the dial a
quarter to twelve. He was seized
with an irresistible desire to breathe
the night air. Rising he stretched
himself and looked out into the dark
ness. The snow crystals sparkled
like diamonds when the light fell up
on them. A muilled figure passed
with quick step and disappeared in
the shadows. An ironic play of his
memory brought before him the pic
ture of his early life. He saw him
self, quite little child, stealing down
to hang his stocking in the chimney
corner.
y
At that moment old Droyski, the
classical Pole, one Of the fixtures of
the place, clad in n threadbare cloak
ornanented with braid and wreaths
of olive, approached Lucien and mum.
bIed through his stained, gray beard ::
please lend me five. frame piece,
sir, for two days / have not budged
from the cercle, and for two days the
seventeen has not come out. Laugh
at me if you will, but | will eat my
head if, on the stroke of midnight,
that number does not appear"
Lueien de Hem shrugged his shout
ders. lie had not even enough in
his pocket to satisfy this traing de-
nand, that the habitues of the place
called the Poles dollar" He pass.
ed out into the vestibue, put on his
hat and pelisse, and descended the
stairs with feverish haste. During
the four hours that Lucien had been
IN the gambling hall the snow had
fallen abuudantly and the street was
white.
The ruined player shivered under
his furs; and quickened his pace, but
before he had proceeded many steps
he stopped suddenly before piteous
sight On a rude bench, placed, as
" formerly the custom, near the
monumental doorway of a mansion, a
little girl Of six Or seven, scantily clad
in tattered black dress, was seated
in the snow She had fallen asleep
therein spite of the cruel cold, and
all unconscious Of the falling flakes
that were softly kissing her white
lips and closed eyes and wrapping
pure white robe around her little
form. Her attitude betrayed fatigue
aud grief and the poor little head
and delicate shoulder were pressed
into an angle Of the wall against the
cold stones. One Of her wooden shoes
had fallen from her hanging foot and
was lying ruefuIly before her.
With mechanical gesture Lnciens
hand sought his pocket, but he re-
membered that a moment before he
had not been able to find even a one
franc piece in some forgotten corner,
which to tip the attendant at the
gaming house. Moved, however, by
an instructive sense Of a pity, he APP
preached the little girl with the pur-
pose Of carrying her to some place Of
shelter for the night, when, in the
fallen snow, his eye fell upon some
thing bright. lie leaned over 1t
was a louis dor. Some charitable
person a-woman, no doubt--in pass
ing had seen the shoe lying before the
sleeping child, and had put it there,
with discreet hand, royal alma,
that the poor little abandoned one
might still preserve in spite of her
misfortune, some confidence aud hope